Foreigners who wish to travel to Georgia for a short vacation or as a tourist require a tourist visa to do so. The Georgia tourist visa can be a short-stay single entry visa or a short-stay multiple entry visa. There are many types of tourist visa to Georgia. Here is everything you must know about the Georgia tourist visa.
The single-entry visa allows a foreigner to enter Georgia once and can stay for a maximum of 30 days. The multiple-entry visa is valid for 5 years and the maximum length of stay allowed is 90 days within 180 days.
Georgia Tourist Visa – Category C1 Visa (Tourist Visa)
- The tourist visa to Georgia falls under the Category C – Ordinary Visa.
- The tourist visa to this country is referred to as the Category C1 Visa.
Unless you belong to one of those countries that have visa exemptions you’ll require a tourist visa.
Countries With Georgia Tourist Visa Exemptions
The citizens of the EU and the following nations can be in Georgia for as a tourist for a maximum of one year without a Georgian visa or permit for residence.
| Australia | Israel | Switzerland |
|---|---|---|
| Albania | Iran | Seychelles |
| Andorra | Japan | South Africa |
| Argentina | Jordan | Singapore |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Kuwait | South Korea |
| Armenia | Kazakhstan | San Marino |
| Azerbaijan | Kyrgyzstan | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
| Bahrain | Lebanon | Saudi Arabia |
| Bahamas | Liechtenstein | Thailand |
| Barbados | Malaysia | Tajikistan |
| Belize | Mexico | Turkey |
| Brazil | Monaco | Turkmenistan |
| Brunei | Mexico | The United Kingdom British Overseas Territories |
| Canada | Montenegro | United Arab Emirates |
| Chile: Maximum of 90 days in 180 days | New Zealand | Ukraine |
| Colombia | Norway | Uruguay (Maximum of 90 days) |
| Costa Rica | Oman | Uzbekistan |
| Dominican Republic | Panama | United States of America |
| El Salvador | Qatar | Vatican City |
| Honduras | Russia | |
| Iceland | Serbia |
Visa exemptions to Georgia are also applicable to those people who have a visa/resident permit of the following nations:
- Australia
- Canada
- Israel
- New Zealand
- South Korea
- USA
- Overseas territories of a country belonging to the EU
- Those holding a service passport/diplomatic passport of:
- If you hold a laissez-passer of the US. The visa is valid for a maximum of one year
Criteria For Eligibility
- Genuine reasons for travel
- Good character records
- Good health records
- Strong reasons to return to your home country
- Sufficient funds to bear all your expenses in Georgia
Georgia Tourist Visa – Documents Required
The following documents must be submitted along with the visa application form to get a tourist visa.
A Valid Passport
- A passport that is valid for at least 6 months beyond the period of stay in Georgia
- At least two blank pages to stamp the visa
Photographs Of The Traveler
- The photograph must be according to the specifications given
- It must be a recent one
- 80% of the frame to cover the face of the applicant with no glasses and the ears must be visible
- 2 photographs- matte finish
- Dimensions- 45mm x 35mm (Breadth 35 mm and length 45 mm)
- Background- All white
- Expression-neutral
- Teeth shouldn’t be visible
A Valid Bank Statement
A valid bank statement of the visa applicant is mandatory to get a tourist visa to this country.
- The statement must be original and from the applicant’s savings account
- The statement must prove that the applicant has a bank balance that is healthy enough
- It should be printed on an A4 size paper with the original seal and signature of the bank
- The signature and seal of the bank should be present on all the pages of the statement
- Your visa could be rejected if the account does not have sufficient funds or if a bulk amount got transferred to your account recently (For the sake of convincing the authorities)
Income Tax Returns
- Proof of IT returns for the past three years has to be submitted along with the visa application
Insurance For Travel
- Issued by an authorized insurance agency
- Must cover the entire stay in Georgia and should be valid for at least 3-10 days after the date of return to your native country
- The details given should match the details on the applicant’s passport
Air Tickets (Round Trip)
- Confirmed round-trip air tickets are compulsory to apply for a Georgian tourist visa
- This is to ensure that the applicant does not have plans to overstay
An Old Passport (If Any)
- The traveler has to submit her/his old passport if available
- The passport must be original and should be in proper condition to take the information required
Covering Letter By The Applicant
A covering letter from the applicant that specifies the following details is necessary.
- Dates of travel
- Details of accommodation in Georgia along with the purpose of visit
- If traveling with a companion- her/his details and your relationship with the fellow traveler
- State who is going to bear the expenses in Georgia
- All the details required by the Consular
- The personal details should match the details on the passport
The covering letter would be the first document seen by the immigration authorities. Make sure it is genuine and covers all the details required.
Additional Documents Required
Besides the above-mentioned ones, the following documents are also essential while applying for a tourist visa to Georgia.
Travel Itinerary
- Your travel itinerary must be included especially if you traveling with a group or through a travel agency
Details Of Accommodation In Georgia
- Staying with family/friends: A letter of invitation from the relative/friend is necessary. The letter must be notarized
- Staying at a hotel: Proof of hotel reservation
- If staying at a rented place: Rental agreement
How To Apply For The Category C1 Visa?
You can either apply for an e-visa online or apply for the visa at the Georgia consulate/embassy in person.
How To Apply E-Visa?
- Submit an online application (Duly filled and signed)
- Attach the following all the required supporting documents as e-files
- Pay the required visa fees using a debit/credit card
- The visa processing time is 5 days
- On approval, you’ll receive the e-visa online
- Take a printout of your e-visa before traveling to Georgia
How To Apply For A C1 Visa In Person?
Unless you are from one of those countries eligible for an e-visa you have to apply for a C1 Visa at the Georgian consulate/ embassy within your country or in one of the neighboring countries. Follow the process given below.
Georgia Tourist Visa – How To Apply Online
- To get an appointment to submit all the documents at the embassy/consulate in your country you are supposed to submit an online application through the system of e-application.
- Upload your recent photographs sticking to the required specifications
- Collect all the supporting documents that are required
- Pay the fee for your visa
- Submit all the documents at the Georgian embassy/consulate
- Once you have collected all the documents and made the required visa fee payments you can submit it at the consulate/embassy in person or send them there by mail
Georgia Tourist Visa Fee
- The visa fee is 20 Euros
- You have to make the payments at the bank of the Georgia embassy/consulate
- You might have to pay an additional amount of 2% as a service fee
Processing Time
- A short-stay visa is processed within 10 days
- The maximum time required for an e-visa is 5 days
On successful completion of the visa processing and the authorities are satisfied with your application they will grant you the tourist visa. The embassy/consulate authorities will affix the visa stamp in your passport.
The passport will be either sent back to you by mail or you’ll have to collect it in person at the concerned office.
